The Baumgarten Report

Sarah Palin is back in Alaska, telling anyone with a microphone who will listen that the John McCain campaign staffers who are leaking information about how she was a rock around the neck of the campaign “jerks.”

And she implored the very news media she attacked as being unfriendly toward her during the campaign to do its job and out those who are making the statements.

Two conflicting observations about all this.

First, she has a point. Anonymous sources are difficult to respond to, and should only be used sparingly and when all else fails. It’s not particularly fair to confront Palin with the accusations without giving her opportunity to confront the source. Perhaps there are mitigating circumstances surrounding the character of the source or his or her relationship with Palin that might color her response.

On the other hand, it’s disconcerting to me that these stories of Palin not knowing that the United States, Canada and Mexico make up NAFTA and that she didn’t know that Africa was a continent and incorrectly thought South Africa was a part of the “country” of Africa (like South Carolina or the south of France?) were not reported until after the election.

The Fox News Channel, which has been on the forefront of breaking this story, acknowledged in its reporting that they knew of these allegations before the election, but that the still unnamed sources swore them to secrecy until it was over.

Reporters on this one should have been more aggressive in verifying the allegations and getting them out to their readers, listeners and viewers before the election was held. The failure to do so makes them appear to be tools of the McCain campaign.

Conservative Florida web and radio commentator Rich Swier says there are four factors that could result in John McCain carrying Florida, a key battleground state in the presidential election.

Swier says a proposition on the ballot which defines marriage as between one man and one woman is drawing out a lot of conservative voters.

He also points to the large number of veterans in Florida, who, he says, as a group, favor McCain.

Swier also believes many Jews, concerned about Barack Obama’s relationship with Palestinian Columbia professor Rashid Khalidi, who Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin described as “a former spokesperson for the Palestinian Liberation Organization,” during a speech in Bowling Green, Ohio. Khalidi, a leading scholar of Middle Eastern studies, denies he was ever a PLO spokesman.

Hispanic voters, as well, in southern Florida, are leaning, Swier says, toward McCain.

Swier’s comments came during an appearance today on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.

They aren’t so much John McCain supporters as they are Barack Obama detractors. But the are hurting McCain much more than they are Obama.

Unintended collateral damage to the candidate they reluctantly support.

The constant barrage of accusations and innuendos tossed Obama’s way is causing voter fatigue and straining the sensibilities of fair-minded Americans. So much so that legitimate discourse about Obama’s ability to be president of the United States are being obscured.

To be sure, there are questionable acts taking place on the Democratic side of the ticket. And as McCain pointed out during last night’s third and final presidential debate, he has been quick to repudiate overreaching and unfair statements by his supporters directed at Obama. He wishes Obama would be as quick to demand fairness from his out-of-line faithful.

But the attacks on McCain pale in comparison with those on Obama. Which have become so vitriolic that the Secret Service is investigating whoever shouted “kill him” at a GOP rally The “him” presumably being Obama.

Last night as I moderated the post-debate conversation in the Obama McCain Debate Room on Paltalk.com, I struggled with untold numbers of incorrect assertions being made by Obama in text and on the microphone. So much so that I felt a bit like an apologist for Obama.

For the record, it’s not about Obama. It’s about fairness.

One caller, for example, proclaimed that Obama “supports terrorist groups.” When I asked him to name one group he “supports” the closest he could come up with is Obama’s relationship with Weatherman founder Bill Ayers. The organization conducted its bombing campaign against the Vietnam War when Obama was 8. While his association with Ayers, who has been described as both a “former terrorist” (never convicted) and Chicago’s citizen of the year is a fair issue to raise, it’s a bit of a stretch to say that Obama supports a terrorist group,since the organization the caller cites is no longer in existence.

Then there were those who repeatedly proclaimed in text in the virtual auditorium on Paltalk that Obama is a Muslim. Of course, he also was a member of a Christian Church that was headed by a controversial minister and his judgment in maintaining that relationship has also been questioned. But significant number of voters believe that Obama is, indeed, a Muslim (time precludes a close examination of the implications of that phobic belief) .

Then there was the caller who asked, in an alarmist tone, what the Obama campaign is hiding by not producing his birth certificate, She’s certain that the Democratic candidate for president is constitutionally unqualified to be on the ballot because he was born in Kenya, not Hawaii as claimed.

I read to that caller the results of the investigation of this claim by Factcheck.org, an arm of the University of Pennsylvania. Factcheck actually saw the original document. And reports that it does, indeed, have a raised seal (the allegation is that the campaign has failed to produce the original certificate with the prerequisite embossed seal).

Two responses from the doubtful on that one. The credibility of Factcheck and the assertion, promulgated by those who have never seen the document, that it is a copy.

All this static obscures potentially real concerns that could be raised about Obama. So for that reason alone, it’s not a good tactic.

More importantly, the character assassinations (and there have been those against Sarah , Palin and McCain as well) are not only unhealthy for this campaign. They are bad for the nation in the long run.

Each of us have made decisions that we’d like to take back in our lives. Presumably, well qualified fellow Americans who might otherwise aspire to public service to their nation will look at this campaign and conclude that the potential damage to their reputation and to their families and personal and business relationships outweighs the desire to answer that call.

Remember this during the next presidential campaign when we might be asking ourselves why the best potential candidates aren’t running.

Friday’s News Talk Online on Paltalk.com focused on the top two stories of the day, the vice-presidential debate and the House passage of the Wall Street bailout plan.

Many callers felt both Sarah Palin and Joe Biden made excellent points during the debate. Though some Republicans accused Biden of lying and some Democrats (and others) pointed out that Palin declined to answer some of the questions posed to her, electing instead to talk about topics she wanted to raise.

A CNN analysis about the debate found that both candidates made misleading or untrue statements, and predicted there will be a lot more of that between now and election day.

The bailout passage was applauded by some, decried by others. But even if one favored a package to help Wall Street, the pork that was stuffed into the bill was distasteful at best (money for wooden arrows and NASCAR for example). Those who voted yes should be expected to explain that portion of the bill to their constituents as they return to their home districts for the election recess.

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Tonight brings the much-anticipated debate between Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her Democratic opponent Joe Biden. And, once again, in an interview with CBS’ Katie Couric, Palin has stumbled.

In precursor interviews with both candidates, Couric ask each to cite one decision the U.S. Supreme Court has made, other than Roe v. Wade, that they disagreed with.

Biden immediately cited the Violence Against Women’s Act, which he introduced, which would allow women who were victimized by crimes to sue their attackers. The Supreme Court overturned portions of that law.

Palin couldn’t think of one solitary high court decision, other than Roe v. Wade, that she disagreed with. Not a single one in the history of the United States.

As she has prepared for tonight’s debate, Palin has been calling conservative radio talk shows to attack the mainstream media. Saying that she’s looking forward to addressing the American people tonight without being “filtered” by the mainstream news media.

But if her past performances in interviews with Couric are any indication, Palin won’t then have an excuse for not knowing the issues. She has to ace this debate. Or she will be a heavy rock around John McCain’s neck. Pulling him under the political waters. Sinking his run for the presidency.

The upcoming vice-presidential debate will be one of the issues discussed at 5 PM New York time today on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com. CLICK HERE to join in the conversation.

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Cautious debater

Editor’s note: The following analysis was written by guest host Dan Warner

Is it possible that the much more experienced in world affairs Joe Biden enters tomorrow’s vice-presidential debate with Sarah Palin disadvantaged?

That was the concenseus expressed during tonight’s News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.

Many callers said Biden must be careful to debate Palin without offending women. Several suggested that he must be careful to not “slap her down.”

But some callers, women mainly, felt that she should be challenged directly because to tread lightly would be demeaning to women.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s age and his health were raised as issues as well.

Making his choice of a running mate far more critical than Barack Obama’s.

Palin’s demeanor during the debate was also discussed. Some callers felt that she had to show that she’s really serious, and not just a bubbly deferential figure.

They also felt that Palin’s strong point is energy. Biden’s foreign policy issues.

Several women expressed the view that the vote should not be based on gender. They said they will not vote for McCain simply because Palin is a woman.

Of course, the nation might not be in this political mess had the Republicans nominated Ron Paul and the Democrats Bill Richardson, clearly, in my view, the best candidates during the primary process representing their respective parties.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30053098@N02/2814461640/

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Cox - scapegoat?

It’s no secret that John McCain was not the first choice of the conservatives in the Republican Party. But most of those who supported Mike Huckabee or Fred Thompson or Rudy Giuliani during the primaries have gotten in line behind McCain. McCain shored up their support by choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate.

But not all conservatives are so willing to embrace McCain as, at least, the anti-Obama. Conservative columnist George Will, for example.

In his op-ed today in the Washington Post, Will blasts McCain for his reactions to the financial crisis facing the nation. And opines that, neither McCain nor Barack Obama are suited to be president of the United States.

Will is particularly upset that McCain puts the blame on the situation on the head of Security and Exchange Commission Chairman Chris Cox, who the Wall Street Journal previously described as “McCain’s scapegoat.”

Will doesn’t go so far as to endorse Obama. But he certainly isn’t offering a ringing endorsement of McCain either.

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Rove

Sometimes it’s hard to tell who one’s political friends and allies are and who are one’s real enemies.

Take former Bush administration political guru Karl Rove, for example, who attacked John McCain’s ads for their lack of truthfulness.

Then there’s Republican commentator Peggy Noonan, who, while she thought the microphones were off at while on the set of MSNBC at the GOP convention declared “it’s over” for the Republicans; a reference to Sarah Palin’s nomination.

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, a McCain adviser, said that McCain and Sarah Palin are not qualified to be CEOs.

Lynn Forester de Rothschild, who is on the Democratic National Committee’s Platform Committee and who supported Hillary Clinton is now backing John McCain.

Of course, so is Joe Lieberman, who once ran for vice-president as a Democrat.

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Houston damage

Today’s News Talk Online on Paltalk.com focused on the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, with reports from Paltalkers directly from the affected area, and the political disaster facing Barack Obama as he slips in the polls.

Concern was expressed for those still missing in the wake of Ike, especially people in Galveston whose homes were literally swept away. Following News Talk Online, the last two hours of the fund raising effort for the American Red Cross Disaster Service were completed on Paltalk. Thanks go out to those who kept the room open and the donations flowing for four days straight.

There then followed heated discussion about the stalling of Obama’s campaign ever since the announcement of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate. There seems to be a feeling among many Republicans that it’s sexist to attack Palin and that Obama is personally responsible for the imprudent comments that were made about certain choices the Palin family is making. To repeat, and for the record, discourse over the decisions made by Palin’s daughter are off limits on News Talk Online. It’s a private family issue and not germane to the political debate.

But that doesn’t mean debate over Palin’s qualifications, record and vision should be sidestepped. These are all legitimate avenues of pursuit.

That being said, the obsession with Sarah Palin needs to stop. Voters should, of course, vet the vice-presidential candidates. But it lately seems that Obama is running against Palin, not McCain. It’s time to refocus the campaign on the men who lead their respective tickets.

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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oneeighteen/2861403044/

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Slipping in polls

Obama supporters in the Mainstream Politics room on Paltalk.com were acting like rats on a sinking ship today. Arguing with one another for hours over the best tactics to get the Barack Obama campaign back on track.

The Republicans in the room were openly laughing and mocking them. If representative of the mindset of Democrats across the nation, today’s display is not a good sign for Obama. Not at all.

Of course, Sarah Palin’s name was mentioned far more than John McCain’s. Another reason to make the Republicans smile.

One McCain supporter, mocking the mostly Democratic online crowd, told them how happy he was that they can’t attack Palin directly for fear of being viewed as bullies picking on this woman, this mother of five children.

Well, excuse me. Palin is, after all, running for the vice-presidency. So why should the political gloves stay on? The Republicans never showed such concern for Hillary Clinton. Why the double standard?

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